Report: Rochester region adds jobs in April

The Rochester metropolitan area economy continued to improve last month, with an increase in the number of non-farm and private-sector jobs, the state Department of Labor said Thursday.

Over the last year Rochester has added 2,600 non-farm jobs, or 0.5 percent, while the private has added 1,700 jobs, or 0.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Rochester was one of eight metro areas upstate to add jobs in April.

Among the 52-county Upstate New York region, non-farm job growth over the last year was 16,000, while the private sector added 24,000 jobs, not seasonally adjusted. Statewide, some 121,300 non-farm jobs were added last month, while the private sector added 137,500 jobs.

From March to April, New York’s private sector added 23,800 jobs, seasonally adjusted, while the gain in non-farm jobs was 25,300.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate statewide in April was 7.8 percent, down from 8.2 percent in March and 8.6 percent a year ago.

Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons for the same month, for example, April 2012 versus April 2013, the Department of Labor noted. When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison.

The educational and health services sector continued to outpace other sectors in terms of jobs gains in April, having added 43,100 jobs since April 2012, not seasonally adjusted. The government, concentrated primarily at the local level, continued to lead the sectors with job losses.